Typically, they look at the runners during the race, but this year was far from typical.

Law enforcement officials in Mondayís 118th Ė and perhaps most historic Ė running of the Boston Marathon were directed to watch the crowd.

Walpole resident and Holliston police officer Matt Stone said this yearís Marathon brought some changes in how he patrolled, including what he was looking at. An overall enjoyable day, Stone said interagency cooperation and precise planning amounted to a marathon that went off without a hitch.

Along with his patrol dog, Cesh, Stone was stationed in Ashland after the town had requested more police detail than in past years. Sparked by two bombs detonated near the Marathonís finish line last year, increased security spanned the 26.2 miles from the raceís start in Hopkinton to the finish in Boston.

Charged with keeping the crowds safe at a busy intersection, Stone said the biggest difference between this year and last was the direction he was facing.

"The number one thing [command] wanted us to do which was different than most years was we were instructed to watch the crowd, watch the spectators," Stone said. "The more eyes on the crowd, the better it was."

At the 6:30 a.m. briefing, Stone said the commanding officers told the detail to continuously scan the crowd, watching faces and actions. Stone said officers were looking for anything out of the ordinary, something he said was difficult to define.

"Anybody who didnít belong, somebody standing by themselves. Taking pictures of unrelated race incidents. Itís kind of hard to explain," Stone said. "Weíre trained in different aspects of that, and we had different intelligence agencies out there where thatís all they do is pick out people who donít fit the crowd."

The number of different agencies involved in security, Stone said, was the other most noticeable difference this year. From local police officers to federal agents, Stone said he worked with officers from Boston to New York, all the way out to Los Angeles.

FBI agents stood guard along the route, next to state police, military police and officers from departments across the state. Though Holliston is not along the marathon route, Stone said nearly half of his department was deployed at points across the race.

"The marathon took over our state yesterday and maxed out resources," Stone said on Tuesday. "Everybody was there to help out in terms of other resources."

Each reporting to different command centers, which were all connected with central stations, Stone said officers were only two steps away from a full-force response. Connected through what he called carefully planned communications systems, Stone said the security effort was a well-oiled machine.

"It was huge to be able to communicate, should we need resources should we need people how can we get them out there as quick as we can."

Page 2 of 2 - Though they had the capability to respond to any disaster, Stone said the only problem he encountered was a raucous college party, with an estimated 600 attendees. Bringing his dog to the event served valuable during the party patrol, Stone said, to keep crowds in check. Paired with the patrol dog, Stone said he takes on the power of three to four officers. Aside from the party-goers, Stone said spectators were cooperative and out for a good time.

"I think people anticipated the security, people were expectant of it and very appreciative of it," he said. "People were out to enjoy the day."

Though unexpected and unwelcome, a college party is most certainly preferable to the problems faced last year, Stone said.

A reflection of the times, Stone said increased security is a measure likely to stay in future marathons. Though more officers were out on the streets, the up in safety protocols is not unusual, Stone said, and people have grown accustomed to it. Citing Fenway Park security searches, and airport screening measures, Stone said armed guards are becoming the norm.

"After everything, I think itís expected and I think it should be expected at any future event," Stone said. "Its just the age we live in now."

Another reflection of the times, Stone said runners were perhaps the most appreciative of police presence, finding comfort in the level of protection available to them. As they passed the officers standing with their backs t the course, Stone said the number of thanks he received was overwhelming.

"My biggest surprise was runners were thanking us," Stone said. I couldnít count the times the runners thanked us. We shouldíve been thanking them for running."